The present invention relates in general to fasteners for shoelaces, and more particularly to a drawstring puller and fastener for shoelaces.
Heretofore, drawstring pullers and fasteners employed a socket with a ridged inner wall. As a consequence thereof, the ridged inner all of the socket interfered with the insertion of the drawstring plug into the socket for the wedging of the drawstring therebetween. Additionally, cylindrical openings were formed in the upper section of the socket for receiving the drawstring for the wedging of the drawstring between the drawstring plug and the socket for the securement of the drawstring. The cylindrical openings formed in the socket were located near the closed upper end of the socket. As a result thereof, the socket had a tendency to rise away from the separable top members of the shoe instead of lying flat against the separable top members of the shoe.
The U.S. Pat. to Sales, No. 4,112,551 issued on Sep. 12, 1978, for Draw String Puller And Fastener discloses a drawstring pull plug with a ridged outer wall and a socket with an interlocking ridged inner wall. The drawstring is wedged between the plug and the socket for the taut securement of the drawstring in interlacing engagement with the separable top members of a shoe.
In the U.S. Pat. to Nelson, No. 515,155, issued on Feb. 20, 1894, for Automatic Tyer For Bags, there is disclosed a socket having openings through which ends of a cord pass. A locking block is attached to one end of the cord. The one end of the cord is drawn into the socket by tension on the other end of the cord. The locking block binds the free end of the cord in the socket. Both the interior wall of the socket and the exterior wall of the locking block are smooth.
In the U.S. Pat. to Boden, No. 3,845,575, issued on Nov. 5, 1974, for Cord Locking Assembly discloses a fastener body which receives the free ends of a lace. A locking element enters the body to tighten the free ends of the lace between the fastener body and the locking element. The free ends of the lace extending from the locking elements form two loops.
In the U.S. Pat. to Boden, No. 3,965,544, issued on Jun. 29, 1976, for Locking Device With Combined Wedging And Spring Action discloses a locking device for a shoelace. The free ends of the shoelace are received by a body. A locking slide enters the body to wedge the free ends of the shoelace therebetween. Arms on the slide provide a spring action to clamp the free ends of the lace between the body and the slide.
In the U.S. Pat. to Vogel, No. 2,443,335, issued on Jun. 15, 1948, for Fastening Device discloses a cover through which pass the ends of a cord. The cord is also received at its free ends by a tapered base. The cover is hollow and the insertion of the base into the cover wedges the ends of the cords between the cover and the base.